A Madison Square Garden meeting with North Carolina and matchups with Auburn, Miami and St. Joseph highlight an intriguing non-conference schedule for the Rutgers University men’s basketball program in 2010-11.

In addition, the Scarlet Knights’ long-running rivalry with Princeton, which was believed to be on its way out under former head coach Fred Hill, has been preserved by new skipper Mike Rice.

The 12-game slate was just released by the athletics department.

“We are really excited with the challenges and opportunities that our non-conference schedule provides,” Rice said in a statement. “We are chomping at the bit to get our guys on the floor and get started.”

This is the fifth and final year of Rutgers’ series with North Carolina. The Scarlet Knights dropped the first four meetings—three in Chapel Hill and one at home. Their Dec. 28 contest will be broadcast on ESPN2. The other national telecast is Dec. 11 vs. Auburn on ESPN2 as part of the Big East-SEC Invitational. That will take place in Pittsburgh’s brand-new Consol Energy Center.

Other highlights are a home tilt against Miami on Nov. 21 and a matchup with St. Joseph in Philadelphia’s hallowed Palestra on Nov. 26, the day after Thanksgiving, as the finale of the three-game Philly Hoop Group Classic.

The Scarlet Knights open at Princeton Nov. 12 and play five in-state foes, including a visit to Monmouth’s year-old Monmouth Activity Center Dec. 18.

THE SCHEDULE:

Nov. 12 at Princeton, 7

Nov. 15 home vs. Fairfield, 7:30

Nov. 21 home vs. Miami, 4

Nov. 23 home vs. Norfolk State, 7:30

Nov. 26 vs. St. Joseph at The Palestra, TBA

Dec. 1 home vs. NJIT, 7:30

Dec. 7 home vs. Marist, 7:30

Dec. 11 vs. Auburn at Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, 12:30

Dec. 14 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, 7:30

Dec. 18 at Monmouth, TBA

Dec. 23 home vs. St. Peter’s, 7:30

Dec. 28 vs. North Carolina at Madison Square Garden, 9

HOOPS HAVEN SAYS: From a fan’s standpoint, this is a very good schedule. The quality is there, with three major-conference foes plus regional brand name St. Joes. All the games except Auburn are within day-trip distance, and there are two classic venues (MSG, The Palestra) and two new buildings (Consol Energy, the MAC). Plus there’s just one game on a football Sunday, which is an improvement over the past couple of years.

On the downside, that Sunday contest features the lone highlight of the home slate (Miami). Beyond that there’s not much for RAC denizens to get revved up about, although Fairfield and St. Peter’s are no pushovers. From a competitive standpoint, this schedule features seven losable games for a squad that figures to struggle. Rutgers won’t lose all seven, but a 7-5 ledger going into Big East play seems entirely plausible.